As the 2014 season kicks off, the Brophy Broncos football team prepares for another stacked schedule against top teams, including an early game against the No. 1 team in the nation.

The Broncos travel to Las Vegas Aug. 22 to play their season opener against the country’s best program, according to USA Today, Bishop Gorman.

"It will prepare us for our schedule following that,”  said head coach Mr. Scooter Molander. “I don't think we will fear anyone after having played Bishop Gorman.”

While they know the tough competition will help, the team is not looking past the game itself.

“I think we have a chance to shock them,” said starting quarterback Cade Knox ’16. “They’re expecting to blow us out.”

While Mr. Molander knows it will be a challenge, he is more concerned with the ramifications of the game in the long run.

"I think that if we can go up there and compete and play hard, regardless of outcome, score, then I think it's really going to help us,” Mr. Molander said.

This season’s captains are Matt Trusiak ’15 and Sean Roberton ’15 while Knox and Walker Adams ’16 are the junior lieutenants, which are similar to captains.

Mr. Molander listed last year’s leading rusher Ryan Velez ’16, defensive end Connor Murphy ’16 and Knox as juniors who will continue to have big roles this upcoming season.

The only two underclassmen on the team are Robert Brooks ’17 and Noah Pittenger ’17.

One player the team will get back after he missed the entire 2013 season due to knee injury is senior running back/safety Jack Haddon ’15, who the team expects to be an integral part on both sides of the ball.

"Very big,” Mr. Molander said when asked how big Haddon’s return to the team will be. “If you watched the scrimmage this past Wednesday, he had a huge run. He was flying around making tackles all over the place. Very smart player, tough player and he's inspirational in the way he approaches the game so we are very happy to have him back.”

When asked what the team needs to improve on from last year, Mr. Molander cited being more consistent on offense and hitting on all cylinders.

Last season the team finished 5-7 and Desert Ridge eliminated them in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.  

"Our goals are to improve upon last year’s record. We want to be better than we were last year. Every week get better and set no limits in our own heads,” Mr. Molander said. “I have mini goals to coach hard today, I have mini goals to be coachable today, and often times what seem like goals are really outcomes.”

• Click here to view the Broncos’ 2014 schedule: http://www.brophyfootball.org/schedules.html
• Click here to see photos from Brophy's Aug. 13 scrimmage against Peoria Liberty

 

Brophy’s top players from the 2015 class recently receive attention from AZCentral.com

Jack Haddon ’15, Isaiah Oliver ’15 and Streator Bates ’15 are ranked among the top 150 in Arizona.

Oliver is ranked at 24, Bates is 39 and Haddon is 122 in the state.

For more information visit: http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/high-school/recruiting/2014/05/07/arizona-top-high-school-football-prospects-2015-class/8812177/

This article originally appeared in Brophy College Preparatory's student newspaper, The Roundup. Follow The Roundup's sports section on Twitter: https://twitter.com/brophysports